When bittorrent was released, I saw the technological aspects as groundbreaking, thinking it would be repurposed for much more than ISO downloads and mass media distribution. How did the technology not become a more popular way of distributing via crowdsourcing large community datasets, such as openstreetmaps, or something like distribution of Android rom updates, when the costs of distribution are so expensive?

  • wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works
    80·
    11 hours ago

    At some point bit torrent WAS an essential distribution tool. It represented nearly 70% of internet traffic!

    So I think you’re asking the wrong question…

    • bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      39·
      10 hours ago

      Before Youtube allowed long video uploads and before video Podcasts were a thing, I remember some early tech creators were creating long form videos around 2004-2005 and they would distribute episodes via BitTorrent, since it was most cost effective for them.

        • jimmy90@lemmy.world
          2·
          2 hours ago

          yes the DHT and tree-hashing distribution system will be the essential backbone of many other fully distributed P2P projects hopefully